Stars, Schedule and Showdowns

CENTRAL ZONE

Venue: Indore
Dates: Jan 9 to 14

Key matches
8226; Uttar Pradesh vs Railways 11th Jan
8226; Madhya Pradesh vs Railways 14th Jan

The Stars
Mohammad Kaif UP: Captains the side, after a long stint on the bench during Tests. Has been India8217;s best bet in the one-dayers recently and can play a key role in UP8217;s fortune.
Murali Kartik Railways: After missing Railways8217; brilliant recovery that saw them reach the semis in the four-day version, Kartik will be playing his first domestic game.

NORTH ZONE

Venues: HP
Dates: Jan 9 to 17

Key match
8226; Punjab vs Delhi Jan 11

The Stars
Harbhajan Singh Punjab: Good to see India8217;s top spinners finally getting a chance to turn up for his state. Bhajji8217;s inclusion makes Punjab the hot favourite to top dominate North Zone.
Yuvraj Singh Punjab: The batsman every bowler in the North Zone will fear. With very little pressure on him and a few Plate division teams in fray expect a real Yuvi-special one of these days.
Dinesh Mongia Punjab: Quite an important tournament for the Punjab skipper. Having just made a comeback to the national side he has to be among runs to cement his place among the Men in Blue.
Ashish Nehra Delhi: It has been all downhill after his brilliant World Cup in 2003. With injury as his middle name, Nehra will have a two-point agenda during this tournament: Take wickets and, more importantly, play an injury-free tournament.
Joginder Sharma Haryana: His international debut showed he has it in him be the all-rounder which India desperately needs. Suddenly the unknown 21-year-old from Haryana will be in the spotlight.